Improvement in street-sweepers



UNITED STATES PATENT Games;

JAMES W. MCDONALD, OF WOBURN, MASSACHUSETTS.

- IMPROVEMENT IN STREET-SWEEPERS.

Specificationforming part of Letters Patent N 0. 183,584, dated October 24, 1876 application filed July 10, 1876. p

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. MCDONALD, of Woburn, in the county of Middlesex and State of Masschusetts, have invented'an Improvement in Street-Sweepers, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates particularly to the method of revolving the broom-shaft. It also has for its object an easy and simple means of fastening the brooms to the broom-shaft, and a method of raising the same.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in explaining my invention, in Which- Figure l is a plan of the street-sweeper,

showing more particularly the method of raising the broom-shaft. Fig.2 is a plan of the bottom, the sweeper being inverted, and shows the brooms spirally fastened to the broomshaft, which extends diagonally across the sweeper immediately under the axle. Fig. 3 shows the ball-joint, and Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views, showing the method of attaching the brooms to theshaft. a

The customary method .of revolving a broom-shaft diagonally across a street-sweeper has been by means of a bevel-gear and the customary cog-gearing, connected with and driven by the wheels of the sweeper. This method of operating the broom-sh aft develops great friction, increasing the draft of the sweeper, and requires a nice adjustment of the broom-shaft.

My invention is designed to apply the power used in revolving the broom-shaft directly at the end of the shaft without the use of the bevel-gear, and consists in the ratchetwheels A A and driving-cog B, all permanently fastened to the axle G of the sweeper. This driving-cog B meshes into the cog D, which has a bearing in the swinging frame E, and operates the broom-shaft F through the ball-joint G. The broom-shaft, as before explained, extends diagonally across the center of the sweeper, with one end connected with the ball-joint, having a bearing in a swinging frame, E, which is supported on the axle G.

The other end of the shaft has a bearing in the swinging frame H, which is hung from the front forward corner of the sweeper. These frames E and H, together with the broom-shaft, are lifted, when desirable, from the ground or track on which the brooms are operating by means of the chains I, drums J, shaft K, which is arranged on bearings diagonally across the sweeper on the line of the broom-shaft and lever L, and the lever is secured to the shaft immediately behind the drivers seat, and is adjusted by a pin on the perforated segments M.

In the matter of gearing the-broom-shaft to a driving-wheel, the broom-shaft lying diagonally across the machine, and the axis of the driving-wheel lying transversely, it has been usual to transmit motion by means of bevelgearing, the gear upon the broom-shaft being hung either so as to move in a vertical plane,

in which case there is a dislocation of the pitch-line and destruction of the teeth, or on a curve, the center of the wheel being coincident with the axis of the driving-wheel, in which case the axis of the broom-shaft is canted downward, or if a joint intervenes between the bevel-pinion and the broom-shaft, the broom-shaft is driven at great disadvantage. A third method, shown in the Oritcherson patent of 1857, in which both the bevel-gears were fixed, would result in the unequal wear of the brooms.

My presentcontrivance consists in the use of a straight spur-gear for the driving-gear, a straight pinion mounted on a frame having a motion around the axis of the driving-gear, whereby the axis of the pinion is always parallel to the driving-shaft, and a ball-joint interposed between the axis of the pinion and the broom-shaft. This substitutes a slight change in the angle of the broom-shaft with constant relations among themselves of the gearing, for varying relations of the gearing and constant angleof the broom-shaft.

For facility in the manufacture and repair of the brooms, 1 cause the same to be fastened to strips of angle-iron N by the U shaped bolt 0 and nuts a a, and the angle-iron is bolted spirally to the broom-shaft. It will readily be seen that, by this means of securing the brooms to the shaft, they may be entirely worn out and new brooms inserted without changing the shaft.

The pawls P, secured to the wheels, engage with the ratchet-wheels. The shanks of these )awls have two flat and one semicircular :ace. The springs attached-to t he spoke of :he respective wheels bear upon the flat sur- :'aces and prevent the turning of the pawl.

The operation of the sweeper is much like ;hat of the ordinary street-sweeper in use,

ny improvements consisting 'ot' modifications which decrease the cost of manutacturingand Jhe expense of working and keeping in repair. Having thus fully described myin'vention,

[claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 7 9f the United States- 1. In street-sweeping machines, the broom described, consisting of a shaft, F, the angleiron N fastened thereon, and the brooms, secured to the projecting edges of the angleiron, substantially as and for the purpose described.

-2. The combination of the clasp O, the 'l *s, and the angle-iron N, an arranged in relation to each other so th'at'th'ebrooms may be adjusted upon the projecting edges of the "angle-iron, substantially as described.

3. In a street-sweeping machine having a diagonal broom shafwas a meansof actuating Witnesses Tan F. RAYMOND, ADO'LPH J. OE'TTiNGER. 

